The remains were transported to Israel’s National Forensics Institute in Tel Aviv for examination and identification.
Three of the bodies were identified as Uriel Baruch, Tamir Nimrodi, and Eitan Levi, but the fourth body did not match any of the known hostages.
“Hamas is required to make all necessary efforts to return the deceased hostages,” the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said in a statement on October 15.
Forensic Findings and Hostage Identification
The forensic investigation revealed that the unidentified body was not among the 28 Israeli hostages whose remains Israel had been expecting.
The IDF stated that this mistake marks the second time Hamas has returned the wrong remains during a ceasefire deal.
Earlier this year, Hamas handed over remains it claimed belonged to Shiri Bibas and her two sons
Also Read: Second Group of Living Israeli Hostages Released by Hamas
However, DNA testing later confirmed that the remains were of an unidentified Palestinian woman. Hamas later corrected the error, saying the mix-up was accidental due to the poor conditions in Gaza.
“Forensic testing confirmed the remains did not belong to her or any other hostage,” Israel’s forensic authorities said at the time.
Ceasefire Violation Allegations
Israel accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire agreement by failing to return all 28 bodies of deceased hostages as previously agreed.
On Monday, October 13, the militant group handed over the remains of four hostages while releasing the last 20 living captives.
The discovery that one of Tuesday’s bodies was not an Israeli hostage has deepened mistrust between the two sides.
Also Read: Global Backlash as Israeli Seizes 14 Gaza Aid Boats
Israel’s government described the incident as “unacceptable” and demanded that Hamas locate and return the correct remains.
Israel’s Response and Aid Restrictions
As a consequence of the incident, Israel announced it would halve the number of humanitarian aid trucks entering Gaza, according to a note seen by Reuters and confirmed by the United Nations.
Hamas, on the other hand, maintained that locating all remains is challenging due to widespread destruction in Gaza.
It also stated it had no interest in withholding any bodies, attributing the confusion to the difficult conditions caused by the ongoing conflict.
The IDF confirmed that 21 Israeli hostages’ remains are still unaccounted for in Gaza.
This situation has heightened pressure on both sides to uphold their commitments under the ceasefire deal and ensure accountability in future exchanges.
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